Nov Tech Tip — Putting iPadOS 15 to Work

Each fall, with the release of the new Apple iPhones, we also get updates to the core iOS operating system. I have mentioned some of the key features that came with the iOS 15 release in a previous Tech Tip, but here I wanted to dive a little deeper into two features I think many leaders will find very handy. Being able to quickly reference information when making notes is helpful for context as well as reference in many instances. With Apple’s Quick Note feature, you can do just that. Distractions are an issue for almost everyone. What if you could set up your devices (iPhone, iPad, even your watch) to only show certain things at certain times? That could be extremely beneficial to prevent distractions from other applications or notifications. With the new Focus Mode, this is now possible.

Let’s take a look at what each of these features are, how you use them, and the value they can add for every busy leader.

Using the Quick Notes feature in practice

The Apple Notes application has been a part of iOS since the beginning. It’s a simple app to capture basic notes. It was always handy, but never stood out. Over the past few years, Apple has invested some attention into this simple app and made some improvements to make it more useful for many users. However, it never fully seemed like a replacement for what third-party developers were doing in the note-taking space. Apple Notes simply did not compare to the features of Good Notes, Notability, or Bear. 

With the improvements in the last two years, I would argue that Apple’s Notes app is now in the same conversation that had previously passed it by. Suddenly, it was comparable to Evernote, Bear, OneNote, and several other ‘keep everything’ type apps. I still think the use case for Notability and Good Notes is very different from what Apple Notes is designed to do. But now, for many users, especially ones that do not do a lot with written notes via the Apple Pencil, (though Apple Notes has some unique options here too), Apple Notes is potentially the top contender. It benefits from being a built-in app, syncs seamlessly with other Apple products, and is easy to use.

With the updates to Apple Notes in iOS 15, that gap is now closed even further, and I believe it may be the go-to app for almost any user. Even power users of other note taking apps will likely find a use for Apple Notes. (I count myself in that camp.) I am not going to do a complete in-depth look at Apple Notes here, but will in the future. What I do want to dive into is the new feature for Quick Notes. This is something that, I hope, will expand to other apps and become more integrated within the iPadOS (and even other operating systems) to make connecting information together easier.

The new Quick Note feature allows you to swipe up from the lower-right corner of the iPad screen to begin a new note in Apple Notes. By itself, this is nothing special. The change comes in the form of that note having the ability, with a single tap, to add a link to the item you already have on your screen. This is extremely helpful for doing web research, if you store information, or working within multiple apps and want to connect all the information together for quick reference.

For example, if I am doing some work on learning more about Apple Notes, I can begin a new note in Apple Notes. When I do a web search on the subject, I can now link that website directly to the note in Apple Notes. I don’t have to copy and paste the website, it does it for me.

The great thing about using the quick note feature is that anytime you go back to that note or in any of the other applications that you pulled that link from, it will make it available as an option for you to reference back to. It is not just in the Apple Notes, but tied to the other pieces as well. Apple Notes also groups all of your Quick Notes together in a Smart Folder within the application. 

I can begin drafting this article in my writing app (I use Ulysses), and then swipe up from the lower right corner to create a new note for research on this subject. The first thing I can do is type the note, but I can also create a link to the Ulysses document I have started. Now I can access both the Apple Note from Ulysses when I come back to the document, or if I review in Apple Notes, I can link directly to the Ulysses document from there.

You can make these same connections with websites and tie that information to the same note you started. As I expand my research and I visit different websites, I can create the connection, so when I visit the website again, I will get a small thumbnail view of the Quick Note. And if I go to the Quick Note, I can then easily access the website I connected from before.

One of the best uses for the new Quick Notes feature is being able to link an email to a Quick Note. If I receive an email that I want to refer to later and I also want to capture some thoughts or notes about the content, I can do that together with a Quick Note.

With all of these options to connect pieces together, it begins to make Apple Notes a very useful and powerful notes application. I hope to continue to see them build this out, and also allow other developers to utilize this connection ability to link all the different pieces of information you have on your devices together, easier than ever before.

Setting up focus modes for office time, for visits, and after work

Apple introduced Do Not Disturb in iOS version 6 way back in 2012. This allowed you to stop any incoming notifications or phone calls for specified periods of time. For example, you could set Do Not Disturb for an hour, until this evening, or until tomorrow. For that window of time, you would not receive any message notifications or phone calls. You could set exceptions (i.e., allow calls from ‘favorites’), but otherwise it would be distraction free. It even had geolocation options, so you could set your Do Not Disturb period for ‘while at this location.’ When you left, notifications would begin again.

Using Focus Mode

Like Do Not Disturb, Focus mode is accessed from the Control Panel, which is activated by swiping down from the upper-right corner of the iPad screen.

You can select ‘Focus’ to bring up your personal list of Focus Mode set-ups you have created.

With the new Focus Mode, it takes the power of Do Not Disturb and amplifies it. It goes beyond just eliminating notifications, as you can set up which applications are visible to you as well as additional settings for which applications or contacts can notify you.

With Focus Mode, you can select to have certain Home Screens available to you during your ‘focus window’. These can all be pre-set. You can also select which applications can send you notifications during that period of time. For example, if you set up a thirty-minute window each morning for planning your day, you could turn all notifications off and no messages, phone calls, or calendar invites will distract you. You could also set up your iPad Home Screen to only show your notes app and calendar (or whatever planning applications you use). This helps to prevent the temptation to check email or any social media sites. (Note: your dock at the bottom remains visible, so if you have your email apps in that space, you would still see them.) You can choose to hide any badge notifications, so even if your mail or messages apps are visible in your dock, you won’t see any red badges showing new messages.

You can set up your Focus Mode to begin when you arrive at certain locations. As a District Manager, you could add the addresses of each of the locations you support and have your Focus Mode begin when you arrive at any of those places. This could trigger hiding certain applications, turning off all notifications, and bringing up your note taking app of choice to be ready for your visit time with that team.

I see Focus Mode as being a powerful tool over time to help leaders concentrate on the work at hand and avoid some distractions. These have become all too common over the past several years as we rely on our mobile devices more and more. With Focus Mode, it does synch across all of your apply devices. When you begin a Focus Mode session on your phone, your iPad and your Apple Watch would both know that you are in that mode and activate any options you have selected.

One final note on Focus Mode: I think this may be scratching the surface in how different automations can be built to help any leader use their devices in a more productive way. Focus Mode can be combined with the Siri Shortcuts application as well. That opens up endless opportunities to have your iPad begin to work for you in new ways. That will be something I explore more in the coming months to see how we can get even more out of an already handy piece of hardware.

These two new features, which are just a small subset of what was added in iOS 15, are real standouts for productivity. It is exciting to see both of these come to the iPad and help make this device even more powerful for leaders who are looking to continue to improve and manage their time management, organization, and productivity. 

How can you put Quick Notes and Focus Mode to work for you?

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